There is a difference between learning a craft and learning something that is intellectually deep, profound, and significant. The underlying theory behind SICP

There is a difference between learning a craft and learning something that is intellectually deep, profound, and significant. The underlying theory behind SICP is that computing is an important and fundamental way of thinking, comprable to mathematics or physics, and should be taught as such. From this standpoint, programs are embodiments of ideas, and the fact that you can use them to build websites or robots is almost incidental. There is nothing wrong with programming-as-a-craft, just as there is nothing wrong with learning to do car repair or HVAC installation, but MIT is not a trade school and SICP is not a how-to manual.